Pick for tubular locks



Oct. 20, H w soN PICK FOR TUBULAR LOCKS Filed Oct. 20, 1951 H rve 1161111 B MM E .II I a ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE PICK FOR TUBULAR LOCKS Harvey G. Wilson, Taft, Calif.

Application October 20, 1951, Serial No. 252,301

3 Claims. 1

The present invention is directed to, and it is a major object toprovide, a pick-for use by locksmithswhich is of novel structural designand function.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a pickespecially designed for use on tubular type locks, such as thosecommercialized under the trade name Ace.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a pick, for tubulartype locks, which can be manipulated readily and with ease to open alock when the key has been lost or is otherwise unavailable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pick, for tubular typelocks, which can be conveniently and accurately decoded so that a keymay be cut for the look without taking the same apart.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a pick, for tubulartype locks, which is simple in structure, being designed for ease andeconomy of manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical andreliable pick for tubular type locks, and one which will be exceedinglyefiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by mean of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings:

'Fig. l is an enlarged inner end view of the pick for tubular typelocks.

Fig. 2 is an outer end view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the pick showing the partsin their initial positions, and illustrating in dotted lines the mannerof use of the finger manipulating tool.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, but shows the position of the parts after alock has been picked, and illustrating in dotted lines the manner of useof the decoding gauge.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the finger manipulating tool.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the decoding gauge.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the novel pick, for tubular type locks, comprises acylindrical body I of relatively small diameter and thus readilymanipulated; such body being formed initially with an axial bore 2 inwhich a central cylindrical plug 3 is fixed.

The central cylindrical plug 3 is formed, about its periphery, with aplurality of longitudinal, full-length guide slots 4 in evenlycircumferentially spaced relation concentric to the body axis; therebeing eight of such slots in the present embodiment, and the same beingrectangular in cross section.

At the inner or lock engaging end of the device the central cylindricalplug 3 is formed with an integral, relatively short but outwardlyprojecting tubular neck 5; the slots 4 extending to the outer end ofsuch neck and being cut wholly therethrough radially, whereby the neck 5is in effect castellated.

A locator and tension finger 6 is secured in normally fixed butreleasable relation in one of the slots 3 by Allen-head set screws 1accessible at the socket end exteriorly of the body I.

At the inner or lock-engaging end of the device the finger 8 is ofreduced width, engages in the corresponding slot 4 in the castellatedneck 5, and projects some distance outwardly thereof.

Pick fingers 8 are disposed in matching, initially slidable relation inthe remaining seven slots 4, and such pick fingers are of substantiallygreater length than the axial extent of the cylindrical body I.

Each of the pick fingers 8 is formed, in its radially outer edge andwithin the confines of the body I, with a straight longitudinal notch 9and a finger looking or set screw H] is threaded radially through thebody I in position to engage in each notch 9. The set screws ill haveserrated heads II on their outer ends whereby the screws may betightened or loosened. When the screws are tightened, the pick fingers 8are fixed with respect to the body I, whereas when said screws areslightly loosened the pick fingers 8 can slide longitudinally butnormally only within the limits of the length of the notches 9.

At the inner or lock-engaging end of the dev1cei e., at the endcorresponding to the castellated neck 5--the pick fingers 3 are reducedin radial width, as at I2, to that of said neck, whereby to matchinglyrun in the slots 4 therein.

In the initial or starting positions of the parts, as in Fig. 3, thepick fingers 8 are retracted into the neck 5 so that they have little,if any, projection, and the locator and tension finger 6 extends a shortdistance outwardly thereof.

D At the outer end of the device the central cylindrical plug 3 i formedwith an axial socket l3 adapted to receive an Allen wrench M in themanner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The pick fingers 8 are formed in the exposed outer end portions thereofwith straight longitudinal notches l5 cut in their radially outermostedges; said notches being adapted to receive the head I6 on a fingerengaging stem I! which forms a tool employed to manipulate the pickfingers 8, as will hereinafter appear. By pulling outwardly on the stemI! the head I6 Works in the engaged notch to retract the correspondingpick finger 8, while pushing inwardly on the stem causes the head I6 towork in the notch in a manner to advance said pick finger. In this wayeach pick finger can be easily manually shifted rearwardly or forwardlyin the cylindrical body I.

The above described device is used in the following manner to pick, andto decode, a tubular type lock, without the necessity of taking the lockapart:

Firstly, all of the pick fingers 8 are retracted in the manner shown inFig. 3, and locked in such position by the set screws IIJ.

Then the castellated neck 5, together with the retracted ends I2 of thepick fingers, are inserted in the circular entry slot of a tubular lockabout the lock post, and with the locator and tension finger 6 engagedin the locator notch in said post.

Next, the cylindrical body I is manually pressed down against the faceof the lock, followed by slight loosening of the finger screws Ill; 1.e. to an extent that the pick fingers 8 are readily slidable in thegrooves 4.

Thereafter, with a light rotary picking tension on the cylindrical bodyI imposed by hand on such body or by an Allen wrench It engaged in thesocket I3, the Dick fingers 8 are successively Worked by the stem [1 inthe manner hereinbefore described until each pin is brought to itsshearing line. As each pin is brought to its shearing line thecorresponding set screw I9 is tightened.

After all of the fingers 8 have been picked and tightened, the slightrotary picking tension is released. The lock is now picked and may bereadily opened with the device.

If a key is tobe cut by code from the device, a more accurate setting ofthe pick fingers 8 is made by turning the pick in the Picked look a%revolution so as to dispose pick fingers B and the corresponding pins inthe lock in intermediate position against an internal abutment. Then thepick fingers 8 are released by slightly loosening the set screws I0, andwith the body I held down against the face of the lock each finger isreadjusted with the corresponding lock pin and retightened by therelated set screw I0.

The differential projection of the working ends I2-of the pick fingers 8resulting from picking of the lock, and as more accurately reset asabove, is illustrated in Fig. 4.

To decode the pick for the purpose of cutting a key, the presentinvention contemplates the use of a decoding gauge, indicated at I8,which gauge is of fiat key shape, being straight on one edge and steppedor staged along the other edge, as at I9 with each stage beingnumerically identified, as shown.

With this decoding gauge resting with its straight edge across the flatinner end of the cylindrical body I to one side of the neck, the extentof projection of each working end I2 of the pick fingers 8 isaccurately'measured, and the corresponding step or stage I9 is noted byits numerical identification. From this numerical identification and acode system referenced in depth of cut, a tubular type key can readilybe made by a locksmith.

This decoding operation is preferably accomplished with the pickinverted from the position shown in Fig. 4, whereby it is moreconvenient to manipulate the decoding gauge I8 in relation to thedifferentially projecting working ends I2 of the pick fingers 8.

Also, in practice the pick fingers 8 are numericall identified insuccession to aid in the decoding of the pick.

The described pick, for tubular type locks, serves as a handy aid tolocksmiths in that the device is easy to work to open locks of thistype, and further such device can be readily decoded for cutting a key.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects ofthe invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth herein the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A pick, for tubular type locks, comprising a body including arelatively short tubular neck projecting axially from one end thereof,the body having a plurality of longitudinal guide slots therein incircumferentially spaced relation concentrically about said axis, theslots extending through the neck, a locator and tension finger fixed inone slot and projecting a distance beyond the neck, pick fingers slidablengaged in the other slots for adjustment to positions of differentialprojection beyond the neck, and means on the body to releasably securethe pick fingers in such positions; the slots being open to the otherend of the body and the pick fingers projecting some distance out of theslots at said end, there being notches in the laterally outer edges ofthe pick fingers beyond said other end of the body, forming endshoulders for engagement with a push and pull tool to slide the pickfingers to said positions.

2. A pick, for tubular type locks, comprising a cylindrical bodyincluding a relatively short tubular neck of reduced diameter projectingaxi-,

ally from one end of said body, the latter having a plurality oflongitudinal guide slots therein in circumfcrentially spaced relationconcentrically about said axis in alinement with and.

extending through the neck, a locator and tension finger fixed in oneslot and projecting a distance beyond the neck, pick fingers slidablyengaged in the other slots for adjustment to positions of differentialprojection beyond the neck, said pick fingers at the end correspondingto the neck matchingly engaging in the slots therein bothcircumfcrentially and radially thereof, and set screws threaded radiallyinto the body in circumferentially spaced relation and in positions toengage and releasably secure the pick fingers in said positions; thepick fingers being formed within the body with longitudinal notches cutinto the fingers from their radially outermost edges, such notches beingof limited length and the set screws normally engaging therein.

3. A pick, for tubular type locks, comprising a cylindrica1 bodyincluding a relatively short tubular neck of reduced diameter projectingaxially from one end of said body, the latter havin a plurality oflongitudinal guide slots therein in circumfcrentially spaced relationconcentrically about said axis in alinement with and extending throughthe neck, a locator and tension finger fixed in one slot and projectinga distance beyond the neck, pick fingers slidably engaged in the otherslots for adjustment to positions of diiferential projection beyond theneck, said pick fingers at the end corresponding to the neck matchinglyengaging in the slots therein both circumferentially and radiallythereof, set screws threaded radially into the body in circumferentiallyspaced relation and in positions to engage and releasably secure thepick fingers in said positions, the slots being open to the end of thebody opposite the neck, and the pick fingers projecting some distanceout of the slots at said opposite end, to allow of manual engagement ofthe pick fingers beyond said opposite end of the body to slide said pickfingers when said set screws are unloosened; the body being formed atsaid opposite end and centrally thereof with a non-circular socketadapted for the reception of a wrench element.

HARVEY G. WILSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 450,065 Fontaine Apr. 7, 1891 2,059,376 Lombardo Nov. 3, 19362,070,342 Tarrie Feb. 9, 1937 OTHER REFERENCES Treatise on Fire andThief Proof Depositories and Locks and Keys by George Price, publishedin London in 1856, pages 314-316.

